Do Neptune's Horses Roam
by Lady Emzebel
Summary: Zoro doesn't believe in gods...or God, for that matter...but that won't stop the Grandline from pulling some pretty amazing stuff out of its sleeve from time to time.


Title: Do Neptune's Horses Roam

Rating: K

Pairing: None...yeah, I actually managed to write Zoro/Sanji with no romantic connotations whatsoever. School is doing something to my brain.

Disclaimer: One Piece isn't mine. The sea shanty, however, does. I wrote it for a class project.

A/N: This was just a random sort of thing cobbled together because poetry/English projects have eaten my brain and, quite frankly, I'm sick of it. Big thanks to Dandy-Wonderous who unknowingly inspired this poem via her work "Little Specks of Seafoam." Seriously, Dandy, you saved my ass.

-----X3-----

When the Merry sailed alongside the savannah-like island, searching for a place to weigh anchor, the entire crew had been out on deck for some reason or another. Therefore, not one of them could have disputed the fact that the herd of horses came simply out of nowhere to race the little sheep-headed ship down the beach.

Equine creatures of every breed, colour, size and temperament frequented the enormous herd, creating an awesome sight: a roving, multicoloured machine of nature, comprised of raw muscle and thundering hooves. It was only natural for each member of the Straw-hat crew to act accordingly.

Chopper was leaping up and down on top of the railing, waving his arms and calling greetings to the lead mare. He almost toppled over in delight when she tossed her great roan head and neighed back.

Usopp had whipped out a sketch book and was scribbling as fast as he could, enthralled with the graceful yet powerful lines that his hand bade him sweep across the page.

"Oh wow, they're so gorgeous."

"Indeed," agreed Robin as she and the navigator stepped up beside Chopper to observe the animals. "The wonders of the Grandline...it almost seems like a gentle place when one takes in sights like these."

Nami snorted.

"Don't hold your breath. We don't know if they're flesh-eating or not yet."

"Oi Sanji? You can eat horse meat right?"

The cook kicked the drooling rubber boy down into the boy's cabin for that comment. Then he leaned back against the railing with a dirty look in his eye focused on the open hatch.

"You barbarian! How dare you say such vile things while the girls bask in these creatures' incandescent beauty!"

In an act of selective hearing, he decided to ignore Nami's murmured comment about the prices fetched at a good horse market.

Even the swordsman deigned to put down his immense weights to watch the horses.

"Hmph." Zoro too moved to the railing from the bow of the ship, and crossed his tan arms across his broad sweaty chest. "How can something that large and noisy come out of nowhere like that? 'Snot natural."

Sanji chuckled, amused by his nakama's bewilderment, and began to hum. Without warning, he broke out into a sea shanty.

"_In little specks of seafoam,_

_Atop the crests of waves,_

_Do Neptune's horses roam, _

_Along the path a seaman braves."_

Zoro stared at him for a moment, as the cook went through another two verses and finished with:

"_While you search for a tale to tell,_

_Do Neptune's horses roam,_

_Aboard a beloved caravel,_

_In little specks of seafoam."_

Sanji finished with a long drawn out exhalation of smoke, and tossed the smouldering cigarette overboard.

"Beloved caravel, huh?"

The swordsman eyed the Merry's figurehead fondly before narrowing his eyes.

"Who the hell is Neptune?"

"Sea god. Robin-chwan told me about him."

"Why's he got horses then if he's a sea god?"

"Idiot...legend has it he created them to pull his chariot. The white foam you see cresting waves is said to be glimpses of their manes."

"...sooo, you think the horses came out of the ocean?"

Sanji shrugged.

"It's a possibility."

"Oh."

There was silence once more. Then Zoro abruptly turned to Sanji with a blunt, humourless expression.

"I don't believe in gods...or God for that matter."

"I know," Sanji said reasonably, lighting up again. "But still," he shrugged a shoulder towards the beach behind him, "makes you think."

"Che, whatever ero-cook."

But despite the swordsman's derisive grunt, when Sanji went to call him for dinner, he was not at all surprised to find the younger man still gazing in awe and wonderment at the horses racing along the beach.

-----X3-----

Owari.


End file.
